5 hours ago, jnrmac said:

At one point in the 3rd qtr we had something like 14 i50s for 2 pts and they had 4 entries for 4 goals.

There rebound was exceptional. Our defence of it was abysmal. The 'gameplan' a=of getting it the fwd 50 raidly and holding it in there is so 2018. Can't be done with the kick in rules and players that refuse to play a zone like they are supposed to.

Doesn't help when you have defenders that can't defend one on one.

What has happened to Hibberd?

I don't think players have drunk their own bathwater because there wouldn't have been any left after Trac and TMac have drunk it the lot.

as someone quoted earlier "so many passengers and no one to replace them with"

WTF have we been doing all pre-season?

... stopping all stations,  and picking up more passengers ! 

 

Its time to change trains...  and we need an express,  to find some one on one players with some decent run.  I'd like to send sparrow back for 2 matches whilst we sort this structure issue out... then bring him back in onto a wing.

Hunt has to play forward, in Traccas place for me.   Start him from the pocket.  Moving up to the ball, creating space behind for some small players with speed and smarts, even Melky.

Weide needs assistance, and I do not like TMc deep.  Weide should be playing high.  And we need TMc playing his best between the 50 arcs.

The deep forward setup needs to be sorted,  but not with Weide or TMc.

5 hours ago, A F said:

This post is absolutely spot on and echo my sentiments precisely. ???

we had a 100 tackles...  but they had 96 tackles.

It wasn't that,  it was our lack of organisation, which is why our Defenders were so under the pump. 

 

Our defensive structure of last season isn't working,  under the (666) rule.

 

They...  led us in all important Stats :-   Kicks,  Handballs,  MARKS especially,  Scoring shots,  Accuracy,  Disposals per goal....

https://finalsiren.com/MatchDetails.asp?GameID=8088&Code=dad2001ec2456db43127b0bf0e32dcf5&Sort=Rating Desc

1 hour ago, beelzebub said:

Any team that controls the ball , especially on the G will deprive us of our"brand"

Our style,if you can call a dog's breakfast attack, a style, requires the ball continually in motion. Almost scrumlike

They've figured us out. Wasn't hard.

Its not that they have figured us out.   But that the other winning teams have simply adjusted to (666),  with run and carry,  more offence balanced attitude.

We are so far unable to control the flow of the ball, as we did last season.

 

IMO,  We'll have to move towards a rolling press in front of the ball, when we defend.

13 minutes ago, DV8 said:

Its not that they have figured us out.   But that the other winning teams have simply adjusted to (666),  with run and carry,  more offence balanced attitude.

We are so far unable to control the flow of the ball, as we did last season.

 

IMO,  We'll have to move towards a rolling press in front of the ball, when we defend.

666 doesn't help....but it's not in play all game. Other teams just aren't allowing us the largesse of swarming the ball forward.

They take it andrun away.. .and there's not enough chase in us. They have it.   Then pass it... Repeat repeat.

We're left flailing around.

Unless we change it's only going to get uglier.

15 minutes ago, beelzebub said:

666 doesn't help....but it's not in play all game.

It stops us from getting into position at the start of play.   Add to this our late Prep and we are chasing butt, hence the tackle count. w are playing catch-up footy most of the time.

I expect us to improve again for Friday night and hopefully we get away to a better start.   The wider wings will be better under the 666 rule that Kardinia Park.

But we'll need more run and carriers.  Patracca is not a run and carrier.  just cameos.  So in a sense we are carrying him atmo.

Because of this our forwardline isn't functioning well.

I would add Spargo and Keilty and another small to the team, drop Tracca...  and play TMc high, so he can add to our midfield efforts. using his tank.

Optimist in me says we are only one game behind the really good sides, and our structural flaws are so obvious that we can’t not rectify them.  We are more likely to be in form by August because of yesterday than if we’d had a full team in and a couple of scrappy wins based on winning contested possession but hiding our structural issues.

 

5 hours ago, Deemania since 56 said:

...Davey to Neitz, MCG ... so long ago that I cannot remember the year. 

What is Neater doing at the moment? Need him in the side now.

7 minutes ago, DV8 said:

But we'll need more run and carriers.  Patracca is not a run and carrier.  just cameos.  So in a sense we are carrying him atmo.

Is that why there were so many shoulder surgeries over summer? 

Just now, Gunna’s said:

Is that why there were so many shoulder surgeries over summer? 

that's very good !

10 minutes ago, Gunna’s said:

Is that why there were so many shoulder surgeries over summer? 

 

12 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

that's very good !

LoL, yes, very good.

 

We are too static and slow up forward with Tracca as a specialist forward.   The Oppo' can play a bigger opponent on him and stop him easily.   It makes us too predictable up front, and to slow, wherever he is.

He has to get fit, a lose Kg's.

Sunday Footy Show had a great segment with about 6 or 7 instances where our players either burnt each other or didn't even look for the handball or switch kick to a teammate with space to run into the 50 and just bombed it long. Followed with a segment on Petracca looking unfit and needing to lose a few kilo's. We all know it, just good to see a public blowtorch on our poor entries and some of the efforts. Hopefully will wake some of the players up.

Edited March 31, 20196 yr by John Demonic

10 minutes ago, John Demonic said:

Sunday Footy Show had a great segment with about 6 or 7 instances where our players either burnt each other or didn't even look for the handball or switch kick to a teammate with space to run into the 50 and just bombed it long. Followed with a segment on Petracca looking unfit and needing to lose a few kilo's. We all know it, just good to see a public blowtorch on our poor entries and some of the efforts. Hopefully will wake some of the players up.

If petracca is unfit due to weight .. what does it say about our fitness staff??

We don't have the 6-6-6 worked out at all: Disorganised Demons

"James Harmes positioned himself just inside the defensive 50 at one stage in the opening term, only to realise Melbourne was one player short in the centre before the bounce.  His mad dash into the square salvaged the situation.

There was confusion again at the very next centre bounce, with Oliver then Jayden Hunt noticing the Dees were one down in their defensive 50.  Hunt raced into the backline, but not before they received a warning, as per the new 6-6-6 starting positions and the 45-second limit to be in your designated area.

That warning became a Geelong free kick in the third term, when co-captain Jack Viney inexplicably started between the centre square and his forward 50".

I despair when I read stuff like this.

What are our leaders who play in the middle (Gawn, Viney, Jones) doing if they aren't organising the set-ups at center bounces!  Surely, surely that is their job.

Our on field leadership is more of a shambles than I thought it was.

 

And, Fox just showed video clips of Jones saying Preuss couldn't be selected because he an adductor strain then Gawn saying Preuss played a good practice game.  Does Jones have any idea what is going on at our club?  And, why aren't they singing from the same song book?

I would laugh if it wasn't so scary.

Edited March 31, 20196 yr by Lucifer's Hero

1 hour ago, beelzebub said:

666 doesn't help....but it's not in play all game. Other teams just aren't allowing us the largesse of swarming the ball forward.

They take it andrun away.. .and there's not enough chase in us. They have it.   Then pass it... Repeat repeat.

We're left flailing around.

Unless we change it's only going to get uglier.

We need to restructure our forward line so we dont congrigrate in the one spot, stand still in a pack where defenders easily spoil and have all the team mates to flick it around to relieve pressure and hit easy targets and transition to attack easily picking our zone apart and causing extra defensive running. If this structure our forward coach (troy chaplin still forwards coach?) of hoping to take a difficult pack mark is his grand plan, then i would be chasing a new forward coach asap.

6 minutes ago, Demonsone said:

If petracca is unfit due to weight .. what does it say about our fitness staff??

That they loaded his running up as much as they could due to the injury interrupted pre season. Screw injuries, just train through them and be out for longer and be less fit than before. Petracca seems like the body type that would take a lot to get to where it should be and lose condition very quick.

1 hour ago, Demonsone said:

If petracca is unfit due to weight .. what does it say about our fitness staff??

anxious ?  intimidated ?  not tough enough ?

1 hour ago, scarlett said:

Petracca seems like the body type that would take a lot to get to where it should be and lose condition very quick.

This happens when not doing enough work,  and taking on many more calories than expended.

Put him in the backline, and give responsibility of taking care of an opponent.   They will run him ragged trying to expose him.

At least he will get some decent workouts.   He might even get fitter,  and he might even do some good work setting up some plays.

 

Personally I would send him to Casey for at least 3 weeks + ...  and play down back there.  As he got some fun and confidence back,  I would let him run-riot in the midfield,  with Casey for a couple of matches.   Prior to even considering him again.

Edited March 31, 20196 yr by DV8

I realise there's more to it, but isn't it ironic that we swapped our best FF for a FB, and now despite getting the ball in there, we can't kick goals and leak like a sieve at the back.

32 minutes ago, DV8 said:

anxious ?  intimidated ?  not tough enough ?

This happens when not doing enough work,  and taking on many more calories than expended.

Put him in the backline, and give responsibility of taking care of an opponent.   They will run him ragged trying to expose him.

At least he will get some decent workouts.   He might even get fitter,  and he might even do some good work setting up some plays.

 

Personally I would send him to Casey for at least 3 weeks + ...  and play down back there.  As he got some fun and confidence back,  I would let him run-riot in the midfield,  with Casey for a couple of matches.   Prior to even considering him again.

In an ideal world all our players would be fully match fit by round 1. I admit he's coming from further back than he was last year. 96kg is a bit heavy to be carrying up and down the ground in the midfield. But i wont accept it is through laziness, if you said that about the previous rebuild players and staff i would believe you, but i think we are a much more professional club now and wouldnt let that seep into the playing group. He was completeing extra sessions and the club has probably taken skin folds and given him what range they want him in and would have a plan to get him to his goal. Personally id prefer him leaner, hes not kp but they seem to want him as that inbetween. If he dropped to say back to 90-92 he would still have his core strength and his build would still keep him that bull type that they cant tackle but might give him a little more burst.

As for playing him back and running him ragged, i disagree with that. Why give the opposition an advantage by playing with 17 on field and one unable to run with his opponent.  Manage his loads like we do for all returning players so we get 100% out of him for 60% game time and build every week rather than 100% for 10% game time and 60% for 70% and the rest blowing out on the bench.

Its all good to say drop him until he's match fit, but who comes in and plays fwd and bring in a another mid rotation? Or have the other player play both roles like trac, if the output is greater then yes. But obviously they dont believe that is the casr. On output, trac produces more than say young sparrow in the midfield and more than him as a forward even with less game time (just using sparrow as an example as he's fringe and will probably ve ommitted this week)

Edited March 31, 20196 yr by scarlett

2 hours ago, John Demonic said:

Sunday Footy Show had a great segment with about 6 or 7 instances where our players either burnt each other or didn't even look for the handball or switch kick to a teammate with space to run into the 50 and just bombed it long. Followed with a segment on Petracca looking unfit and needing to lose a few kilo's. We all know it, just good to see a public blowtorch on our poor entries and some of the efforts. Hopefully will wake some of the players up.

Highlighting to me that we are not playing like we train. All preseason I have watched our game simulation drills where we are free flowing, hand balling to running players and always looking to switch the play to kick to a loose player on the other side of the ground. It all looks good but come game day it doesn’t happen. They all look too frightened to take a risk, so it’s pick it up and kick blindly forward. 

25 minutes ago, FireInTheBelly said:

I realise there's more to it, but isn't it ironic that we swapped our best FF for a FB, and now despite getting the ball in there, we can't kick goals and leak like a sieve at the back.

Yep and that best FF kicked 0.0 today so wouldn’t have helped at all.

10 minutes ago, Earl Hood said:

Highlighting to me that we are not playing like we train. All preseason I have watched our game simulation drills where we are free flowing, hand balling to running players and always looking to switch the play to kick to a loose player on the other side of the ground. It all looks good but come game day it doesn’t happen. They all look too frightened to take a risk, so it’s pick it up and kick blindly forward. 

And it's always different when the guys are playing someone who doesn't give a flying fig about YOUR methods.

Tis like dancing with your sister etc. It's not the real thing.

There's talent....being wasted.

13 hours ago, praha said:

I want to believe you. The Hawks game broke me last year and to be honest, ever since that loss I have been very indifferent about this team and its potential. I went to the ANZAV Eve game for the spectacle, after that though I didn't attend or watch a match again until after we had won 3 in a row. And even then my interest had waned. The finals were fun.

2012-2017 absolutely burnt me out. Last week I saw as just a loss, "win some lose some", but losses like last night...they bring back this weird sensation where I actually stop caring. I used to care so much after losses like this when we weren't even close to finals. But now that we're in the running, I am completely indifferent. 

I doubt many are like me but if you wanted to know how some of us felf after that match...well, it essentially ruined football for me. Last night I laughed more than anything and shook my head, whereas two years ago I'd have been throwing my cigarettes at the screen. After they kicked 4 goals from 4 inside 50s in the third, I put on Monsters Inc for a giggle and fell asleep before the final siren. 

My point is that losses like the Hawthorn game, and last night. After everything we've been through as a fanbase, for some of us it's actually made us realise how much of a waste of energy football is. To be honest it's been a wake up call for me. I hope some of you can end up like me tbh. Feeling indifferent and not caring so much makes the losses much easier to deal with.

this resonated with me. I felt a shift but too many years of this then to finally get up off the canvass and compete with the big boys, then get hit down so quickly. well there is actually a breaking point.

The new 'brand' and new psyche of this club is about to be truelly tested.

47 minutes ago, scarlett said:

In an ideal world all our players would be fully match fit by round 1. I admit he's coming from further back than he was last year. 96kg is a bit heavy to be carrying up and down the ground in the midfield. But i wont accept it is through laziness, if you said that about the previous rebuild players and staff i would believe you, but i think we are a much more professional club now and wouldnt let that seep into the playing group. He was completeing extra sessions and the club has probably taken skin folds and given him what range they want him in and would have a plan to get him to his goal. Personally id prefer him leaner, hes not kp but they seem to want him as that inbetween. If he dropped to say back to 90-92 he would still have his core strength and his build would still keep him that bull type that they cant tackle but might give him a little more burst.

As for playing him back and running him ragged, i disagree with that. Why give the opposition an advantage by playing with 17 on field and one unable to run with his opponent.  Manage his loads like we do for all returning players so we get 100% out of him for 60% game time and build every week rather than 100% for 10% game time and 60% for 70% and the rest blowing out on the bench.

Its all good to say drop him until he's match fit, but who comes in and plays fwd and bring in a another mid rotation? Or have the other player play both roles like trac, if the output is greater then yes. But obviously they dont believe that is the casr. On output, trac produces more than say young sparrow in the midfield and more than him as a forward even with less game time (just using sparrow as an example as he's fringe and will probably ve ommitted this week)

He was unfit last year.  He,  has Never been super-fit in his career.

He was 96 Kgs  during the course of 2018. Still is.

I don't want us to let him go.  instead I want him to lose weight...  and get much, much fitter.   It's a commitment, for him.

 

# who comes in is beside the point.  The coach/selection committee  has to make a statement... and Tracca just isn't fit enough to run in the midfield, and has not got the touch nor confidence to do the job in our AFL side.

Other players coming in, can add much more run and pace, than he offers.

 

He has to go back, and get his mind and game in order.

.

1 hour ago, Earl Hood said:

Highlighting to me that we are not playing like we train. All preseason I have watched our game simulation drills where we are free flowing, hand balling to running players and always looking to switch the play to kick to a loose player on the other side of the ground. It all looks good but come game day it doesn’t happen. They all look too frightened to take a risk, so it’s pick it up and kick blindly forward. 

I know noone wants to hear it, but we are still a young side. On the coverage last night they said we fielded the 2nd youngest side in round 1 (behind Good Coast I assume?)

I'm as impatient as anyone for success but it's not this year or bust. This team has been built for the long haul.

 

2 hours ago, —coach— said:

Yep and that best FF kicked 0.0 today so wouldn’t have helped at all.

And he wouldn't have done any better for us with the way the ball was being delivered.

We really need to stop bombing the ball in constantly, or throw Preuss or a resting Gawn in the forward line to stand under it.

On 3/30/2019 at 7:27 PM, drysdale demon said:

yours particuarly

Helps if you can spell!